Louisville loves Wendy Whelan

She started ballet classes at age 3 and one of her first roles in Louisville was appearing as a mouse in the Louisville Ballet’s annual production of “The Nutcracker.”

Then Wendy Whelan went on to become one of the nation’s top ballerinas, a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet and a star in the ballet world.

But in October, Ms. Whelan, 46, will give her farewell performance with the City Ballet, The New York Times reported recently. But Ms. Whelan, who is recovering from a hip injury, is hardly bidding farewell to dance.

After 30 years with the City Ballet, Ms. Whelan said she plans to throw her energy into contemporary dance.

We offer Ms. Whelan best wishes and thanks for her artistry of more than three decades.